Sticks And Stones
by EeveeAlchemist2.0
Summary: Arceus is bored. So what does he do? Plucks two regular humans and sends them to the Pokémon world. The catch? They're from our world, and have selective knowledge about the world they're about to be thrown into. Follow our heroes as they struggle from opposite sides to figure out how to survive! (Amourshipping and OC ships planned. Rating and title may change as story progresses.)
1. Prologue: The Boredom of Arceus Suzumiya

Prologue

"Where the hell am I?"

Two humans, a male and female, stood in a white abyss. The former had spoken on pure instinct, looking around wildly, while his companion did the same. Finally, their wild search came to an end when they looked at each other, mirroring a confused expression. The female shrugged and the male sighed, admitting defeat.

A minute ago, he had been sitting on his bed, idly playing around on his cell phone. He hadn't had a thought on his mind, except for how inexplicably, undeniably _bored_ he was. Likewise, the young lady beside him had been sitting on her bed, re-reading the latest book in her favorite series. A million thoughts had crossed her mind as she skimmed each page, but none more so than the thought of how inexplicably, undeniably _bored_ she was. Both remembered their last, simultaneous action: throwing their respective items aside and wishing, hoping, _praying_ that something, _anything,_ would happen.

And just as suddenly, here they were.

Desperate for an answer and something other than just _white_ to look at, the male turned to gaze upon the female beside him. She appeared to be just as confused as he was, and, on closer inspection, he remembered that he had seen her somewhere before. He spoke, an eyebrow furrowing underneath the rounded glasses he was forced to wear. "Wait a minute. You're that kid from my algebra class, aren't you?"

The year older woman squinted at him, studying him further. After a moment, she spoke hesitantly. "You're that kid who sits at the front and tries to put tacks in the teacher's chair."

Of course, she only remembered _that_ about him.

"Your name was…"

That just made him feel worse. She didn't even know his name? He replied cooly to her. "Just call me Spark. That's what everyone else calls me. You're Rae, correct?" The girl mumbled something and nodded, confirming his guess. He didn't know much about her or had really talked to her much outside the classroom. She wasn't a bad person to be around though, and always brought up things that seemed to make him think about life. "So, you know those riddles you like to solve in class? Wanna answer this one? Where are we?" She _did_ seem to like riddles, after all.

Rae shrugged in response, however, knocking his hopes out the window. She offered him a small, troubled smile instead. "I have no idea where we are, or why we're here. I would say that we're dead, but… I believe if that were the case, we wouldn't be talking to each other right now. We'd likely be in separate voids."

" _That's correct, madam."_

Both humans jumped as a colossal voice, neither male nor female, speared through their consciences. The void around them seemed to glow, and a giant, regal… llama appeared before them. The llama was huge, around three times as big as a normal llama might be. It had pure white fur running down it's body, with black skin surrounding its face and showing around its chest and backside. Its hooves were dipped in gold, and to compliment them, a huge, golden ring surrounded its torso. Green eyes flashed at them, suggesting their superiority over them. And most of all, they found that this llama was _also_ recognizable.

Trying to calm his heart so he didn't immediately go into cardiac arrest, Spark spluttered out words, "I-I'm sorry. I'm dreaming. Yeah. Must be dreaming. The legendary _Arceus_ is not standing in front of me right now."

"Really? Because I think I'm having the same dream." Rae's voice, though not as frightened as his, met his right ear.

A slightly irritated voice met them both, _"I assure you that I am quite real, and that this is not a petty dream. Open your eyes, both of you."_

Spark hadn't even realized that his eyes were closed. He opened them slowly to once again stare at Arceus. Beside him, Rae did the same, ever so carefully.

Arceus cleared his throat, speaking again, though his mouth never moved. _"Now that I have your attention… Welcome, peasants, to my realm. I am Arceus-"_

"We know," replied both Rae and Spark in unison.

" _... And I will be your guide for the evening."_ The Creator finished irritably. _"You both have been chosen by a special audience to partake in an incredible, state-of-the-art adventure. You will face fearsome enemies, overcome dangerous obstacles, make friends, and make enemies. You will both make and break bonds, and-"_

Rae chose to cut God off this time, "Now just _wait_ a second. What audience are you talking about? What adventure-"

A large bolt of lightning struck suddenly across the void. Rae and Spark both quailed under it, shrinking back and against each other. Rae's words died with the clap of thunder that followed, and she meekly finished with a, "sorry I asked."

Arceus growled, his anger imminent. _"Fine, be that way. I never get to do my speech. Damned humans, I'm not sure why I even created your horrid species. You were brought here because we were bored. All of us were bored. And I decided, 'Hey, why not drag two trainers from a completely different universe and force them into a completely real universe that they based a children's game off of? Wouldn't that be fun?' And now, here you are. You both will partake on your own Pokemon journey, and you will both LIKE it."_

The void flashed again, and the two already shocked humans were further surprised by two twin eggs falling into their laps. They were around the size of an ostrich egg, each decorated with a brown exterior and a jagged, white stripe in the middle. Both eggs were warm to the touch, and they could both feel something move, just slightly, from its interior.

Arceus resumed his explanation, a bit less harshly. _"These are twin eggs that I have just created. Their species will not be revealed to you until they hatch, much like you are used to as you play your games. These will be your starter Pokemon. Once you get into the world, you're free to do as you please. Just don't kill anyone. If you do, I'll be forced to take measures. And now, enjoy these games you boring humans seem to pass the time with, while I get things set up."_

All at once, card games of every kind, board games, a selection of snacks ranging from donuts to chex mix, and even a television with numerous game systems fell at the feet of the even further lost humans. Neither dared to breathe until the void once more had swallowed the Creator, and they had been left in silence. Spark spoke very hesitantly, fingering his egg gently, and summing up the thoughts of everyone left in the void.

"What the hell just happened?"

* * *

After an hour of getting his ass kicked by a card playing female, and another of getting his revenge by kicking her ass at video games, Spark found himself once again staring up at Arceus. Rae stood next to him, clutching her egg firmly to her chest. She had immediately fallen in love with it, like a mother hen. Spark liked his egg, sure, and knew to be careful with it, but he wasn't very… motherly, to begin with.

The Creator bowed to them both. _"The stage is set, and you're ready to begin. Both of you, step into the circle behind me."_

A shining blue circle appeared on the floor behind the large llama. It looked strangely like an ancient rune, he noticed, but Spark didn't question it. He slowly walked forward and took a position to the left. Rae hesitantly followed him to the right. Both stood side by side as the Creator turned to appraise them. Arceus walked forward regally, rearing onto his hind legs. A sudden thought occurred to Spark, and he opened his mouth to yell it out, but he was too late.

Arceus brought his front hooves down on the circle.

The circle exploded. Light raced to meet the top of the void, Spark's half the regular blue. The roaring of electricity, fire, and water all rushed to meet his ears, and he was forced to shield his eyes from the massive glow of light that surrounded every side of him.

Then above all, Rae's scream reached his ears.

He forced his body to turn in her direction, and was shocked by what he saw. The rushing sounds were the same and the same amazed expression in her eyes. However, the light surrounding her resembled a startling, bloody _red._ A wall of yellow rose from the middle of the circle to cut the two sides off. Arceus before them yelled something, looking quite shocked himself, and that's when Spark confirmed that something was _very wrong._

The sounds of rushing elements faded into an eerie, high pitched wail, and whiteness collapsed around him.

Then, all of the sudden, the sounds stopped.

And he was thrown into darkness.

* * *

Arceus blinked as the circle and the two humans disappeared. _"Well… The light show went as planned, anyway. Now, if I could just figure out how they ended up on opposite sides of the world… Oh well."_

The Creator of the Universe stepped back, tossing the problem aside for the moment. He pivoted lightly and sat on his hindquarters, and a cup of tea popped into existence in front of his feet. He lifted it carefully with a hoof and sipped at it, relaxing.

The two humans could fend for themselves for a while.

However, just to be sure, a large holographic image of the world below stretched across the white void Arceus sat in. He observed his creations this way, when he didn't want to go down and make a personal visit. Quickly, he searched for the creatures he had just sent down, and spotted both within seconds. A broad grin spread across the Creator's face.

This was going to be interesting.

" _Welcome to the show."_

* * *

 _AN: Hello hello hello!_

 _It's certainly been a while. Thanks to all of my followers who still check me out every so often._

 _Yes, this is a new story I have started, and this project is going to be extremely huge. So huge, in fact, that I actually think there's going to be over 50 chapters in this one, something I've never accomplished with any of my stories before (even though I haven't uploaded them fully on here). I have the first whole part of this story planned out, but not written yet. Therefore, updates are going to be rather slow, and I have no set schedule. College life and work like to get in the way of my writing time, unfortunately._

 _However!_

 _I figured I would at least give you the prologue, and something to look forward to. Sorry to leave you with simply a small teaser, but hopefully this will get you at least a bit interested in what's to come! (I'm also really sorry for the terrible, non-edited version I gave you, this will be updated when I am finally able to begin uploading the rest of the story .)_

 _I hope you enjoy this part of it, and I will be back with you all, hopefully, soon! Let me know in a review what you may like to see in this story in the future, and whether or not you're interested in it! Leave a follow as well if you're interested, as, again, I'm not sure at this time what my update schedule will be._

 _Thanks everyone! Ciao for now!_

 _\- EA_


	2. Spark: Chapter One

**Hey everyone.**

 **Here's the actual story, one that I'm (cue gasp of shock) actively working on. I have a few chapters written, and will try to post one once a month, likely at the end of each month. With the strain of college, holding down a job, and caring for an extensive family, I don't have much time on my hands. But, that doesn't mean I stop writing! It just means that my writing schedule is... Well, practically nonexistent. But I'm going to aim to have as much written by the end of each month as I can. Yay for goals!**

 **Like I said in the teaser before hand, this story is going to be a pretty long one. It's something I've been thinking about off and on for a couple years now, and I finally know how I want it to go. Hopefully, it'll be full of surprises, plot twists, character development, and will have just a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. My goal with this story is to appeal to every one of my readers, at least once.**

 **So with that being said... Let's get on with it, shall we?**

 **Here's to this!**

 **\- EA**

 **PS: Hope everyone is having a great new year so far!**

* * *

The sound of chirping birds was what first caught his attention. The smell of fresh plants and flowers tempted him to open his eyes just a crack. The feeling of something warm and slimy crawling on his neck made him bolt upright, fully conscious and trying to avoid another heart attack.

His hands flailed in a desperate attempt to obliterate whatever was on him, and grabbed onto a small, slimy body. A startled warbling cried in his ear, and Spark jerked his hand away, the creature firmly encased in his fingers. A green worm stared up at him in terror. He had just enough time to realize he was holding a _very real_ Caterpie before the larvae reared it's head, spitting a long stream of white silk right at his face. The thread was incredibly sticky, he observed, as the Caterpie proceeded to cover his face completely from the forehead down, only leaving his nostrils free to thankfully letting him breathe. He dropped the Caterpie in his surprise. The Caterpie, apparently satisfied with the effects of its String Shot attack, hurriedly wriggled away. Spark sat there for a few seconds, shocked by what had just occurred, before his sense returned and he began to gingerly peel the sticky thread away. Once his glasses were free, he took a second to take in his surroundings.

Lush greenery greeted him from all sides. In the air, on the ground, everywhere Spark looked there was some sort of plant or tree. Grass covered every square inch that wasn't already covered by trees or shrubs. Some of the grass was taller in certain patches across treelines, and stretching across deviations in the natural path the forest made. Sunlight peeked through the openings the leaves, creating shiny beams on the ground below, almost like the effects of a disco ball in a dark room. Beside him, the brown egg that Arceus had gifted him rested, thankfully unharmed.

Most fascinating of all, however, were the _Pokemon._ They were everywhere; they were in the grass, in the trees, in the air. All different types and species of Pokemon stared out at him, passed him in rushes or slowly, and others interacted with themselves. Caterpie, Pidgeotto, Metapod, and Spark could have sworn he even saw the pointed ears of a Pikachu in the grass; all of them swarmed the forest, populated it. It was truly amazing. He couldn't help but mutter a small, "wow," as they all passed by him. His exclamation was tossed into the wind unheard, and for the first time, Spark noticed something important.

His companion was missing. There was no sign of the girl, Rae, that had accompanied him in Arceus' domain. Whether or not that was a good thing or not, he didn't know. He barely knew the girl, but the way she had screamed… That had to have meant something, right?

With no other ideas on what to do next, Spark gently lifted the Egg laying beside him and got to his feet to look for the girl. At once, many of the Pokemon scattered, leaving only a few brave Pidgey to peer at him from the enclosed safety of a tree. He moved slowly through the short grass, taking care to stay away from the taller areas, looking from side to side. With any luck she would be in the immediate area, or he could find someone else that had seen her.

He started by walking forwards. He trudged through the ankle high grass, slick with morning dew. Spark walked for several yards before he took a left turn, and found himself face to face with a dead end of trees. Somewhat frustrated, but expectant of such a dilemma, he turned around and retraced his steps.

He continued by walking to the left of his starting point. The egg moved and bounced gently in his arms. He tightened his grip slightly and continued forward, to come face to face with a long line of bushes, once again blocking him in from all sides. Growling, Spark turned around once more and retraced his steps.

It was undeniably so, that Spark was hopelessly lost. Not just that, but Rae was nowhere to be found. He hadn't seen a single person in this forest Lost and alone. That was _exactly_ how Spark wanted to start this fantasy adventure... Not.

With his hope slowly fading, Spark decided to try the only option left: the path to the right. He was surprised when the path opened up for him, leading into a small clearing of the forest. Sunlight filtered into an open field of grass, not at all bothered by a blanket of leaves like the rest of the forest around it. Tall grass lined the edges of the clearing, while shorter grass dotted with flowers filled it's surface area. The sight was something to behold, and Spark felt himself get lost in it's trance.

It was broken as a voice suddenly called to him. "Hey, are you crazy? Move outta the way!"

Spark slowly turned towards the voice, his eyes training on a kid that couldn't have been more than ten years old. He was small and appeared skinny, wore a pair of baggy shorts and a green striped T-shirt. Wild, curly golden hair spiked out from his head, falling to his shoulders. His wide eyes were hidden behind a small pair of thick glasses, much like Spark's own, that rested on a slightly freckled nose. A note of panic rose from the boy's high voice catching Spark's attention. Unfortunately, by then it was too late.

" _Speeee!"_

A rush of wind blew past his ear, followed by the sounds of angry buzzing and beating wings. Hardly daring to move, Spark moved his eyes up to meet the object that was hovering over him. He had to stifle what may have been an incredibly girlish scream.

Three creatures glared back angrily at him. They were obviously bees, but they were _huge_ , almost five times the size a normal bee should have been. And he didn't even want to comment on the size of the stingers on those things, or the fact that there was not only one stinger on it's tailbone, but an extra _two_ on it's front feelers. The stingers looked like large drills, impossibly sharp, and _not at all_ something Spark wanted to come in contact with.

Using what little common sense he could muster in the situation, Spark slowly began to back towards the kid that had yelled at him, carefully avoiding any sudden movements. He was all the way on the other side of the field, but maybe, just maybe, he could reach the kid without upsetting the giant insects. The bee Pokemon watched him carefully, their wings buzzing with apprehension with his every small step. Spark managed to make his way to the very heart of the clearing. The bees trailed him, hissing and buzzing. The kid on the other side was watching fearfully, slowly beckoning him over. Everything looked like it would turn out fine.

He took another step, and his foot suddenly gave out from underneath him, burying itself in a hole. Spark fell forward before he could catch himself, slamming face first into the ground below. The egg he had been carefully carrying slipped from his fingers, rolling a few feet away. Obviously, he had spoken too soon.

The Bee Pokemon didn't like this one bit and immediately swooped towards him, considering the action to be a threat. Razor sharp stingers bared down on him, moving so quickly he could barely keep track of where they were coming from, let alone dodge them. He shut his eyes, bracing for the pain that was to come.

"Ludicolo, use Ice Beam!"

The pain never arrived. Spark was prompted to open his eyes, just in time to watch a sharp beam of blue light fly over his head and straight into one of the bees, it's stinger mere centimeters from a point between his eyes. The bee froze. No, literally. The bee became encased in ice on impact, a thick layer sealing it's wings first, and then it's body. It dropped like a rock out of the air, landing roughly on Spark's right. The other two met the same fate, dropping to his left. Spark shakily let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. His eyes never left the frozen creatures; he half expected them to keep coming at him. Luckily, they remained encased in solid ice.

Now that the immediate threat was over, he was able to think about what the situation actually was. His brain kicked back on, and he finally recognized the bee creatures as Beedrill, a Pokemon from the first generation of the Pokemon series he was so fond of. According to the games, they were supposed to be extremely territorial, and attacked in swarms. That part was true enough; from the looks of it Spark had stumbled onto one of their nests. However the games also made it seem like Beedrill were not half the size of a normal human.

The games were apparently lying.

A small hand latched onto Spark's wrist, making him jump. The same boy from before was right next to him, pulling gently on his wrist. Beside him a rather large Ludicolo was joyfully bouncing back and forth from one foot to boy growled at him, pulling Spark to his feet. "Come on, we don't have much time before more of them come out. You gotta move!"

Ominous buzzing sounds filled the surrounding forest when the boy ended his frantic message. Spark decided it would probably be a good idea to follow the kid's advice. Scooping up the discarded egg in the process, Spark quickly pivoted into an upright position and followed the boy towards the forest once more. When they were safely inside the trees, the kid stopped. He thanked his Ludicolo before returning it, then rounded on Spark. "What was that all about? You walk right into a Beedrill nest, and instead of running, you sit there and enjoy the view? What are you, some kind of idiot?"

A tick started in Spark's jaw and his eye twitched irritably. "Excuse me for not recognizing the surroundings of somewhere I've never been to before."

The boy's demeanor changed completely. His face split into a grin. "You're a new trainer? Sweet! My name is Tide, we should battle right now!"

Well, that would have been a reasonable request, but Spark realized with a jolt that he didn't yet have any Pokemon. All he had was the egg in his arms. "As much as I'd like to, kid, I don't have any Pokemon yet. Just this egg. By the way, what kind of name is 'Tide'?"

Tide shot back, "What kind of name is 'Spark'?"

He couldn't argue with that.

Tide spoke gently. "So you just started, huh? Have you gotten a Pokedex? Why didn't you get a starter Pokemon from Professor Oak first? And- Whoa, is your egg alright?!"

The egg jumped suddenly and grew hot in Spark's arms, drawing his attention. He hurriedly put it down on the ground. This was familiar to him; even the real thing seemed like the animation from the game. "No, it's just hatching." He spared a grin as Tide leaned in to watch, clearly interested.

The egg bounced a few times, glowing a harsh white color. Small cracks began to form on the top if it, then split down the middle. The brown and white shell fell off piece by piece, and with one more pulse of light, finally vanished. In it's place lied a small Eevee. It was smaller than what Spark expected it to be, and looked very fragile. It's tiny form rose and fell with breaths of life, though it's eyes remained closed, too young to open them quite yet. Unlike the games he was so used to, it seemed as though Pokemon grew like animals did in his world. Shakily, he picked up the small creature in his hands. It didn't stir, but drew another shaky breath, and let it out in a high pitched squeal.

Tide stood suddenly. "Something doesn't seem right. I've never seen a Pokemon hatch before, but I have seen newborns… this one seems weak."

Spark shot the blonde a look. "What do you suggest we do? There isn't a hospital in this forest, is there?"

Tide shook his head. "No, but there's one in Viridian city, just outside this forest. I'll take you there. The nurse at the Pokemon Center should be able to check on it, and it's free!"

Well, Spark liked free things, and the Eevee did look weak in his arms. It's breathing was consistent, but shallow, and it still hadn't opened it's eyes and made no signs of doing so. He hadn't been a trainer for more than thirty seconds, and he could already be close to losing his first partner.

He nodded to Tide. "Fine, lead the way."


	3. Rae: Chapter one

Rae groaned, finally daring to open her eyes. She had been lying on the hard ground for what seemed like an eternity, trying to convince herself that the events of the night before had been a very weird dream.

Unfortunately, it also seemed as though her bed had turned into concrete.

Getting to her knees, the girl found that she had been lying in the middle of a dirt road. It was well worn, giving the impression that it was traveled upon frequently. Lightly cut grass painted the raised curbs beside the road, and trees dotted the surrounding areas inside it. Small wildflowers popped up in random places on the ground as well, so it seemed that at least this wasn't private property. To this, she heaved a gentle sigh of relief.

Next to her lay the egg given to her by the mythical Arceus himself. It seemed to be unharmed in her transportation to… Wherever she was, at least. She bent down and gently caressed it before lifting it into her arms. The round object was warm to the touch, and she could hear little scratching sounds from inside. A flutter of excitement went through her; it seemed the egg was close to hatching.

Rae gave her surroundings a quick look over before moving over to the side. There weren't any creatures on this path, not that she could see, which struck her as odd. This was the Pokemon world… Right? Where were all the Pokemon? Where were all the people, for that matter? The only evidence that she had to indicate that this was, in fact, real at all was the egg in her arms. She decided to follow the road for a little bit. Hopefully, it would lead her to some sort of civilization.

She didn't get more than a few yards before a sound caught her off guard. Her hearing had always been rather acute; she had always been able to hear things before others could. This sound, however, was not something she expected to hear this far away from any sort of city. It was the sound of… Sirens. She could hear the wailing of what almost sounded like a police car, the high pitched wail was unmistakeable.

Within a minute she could hear the squealing of tires approaching. She stood in silence as a motorcycle approached with a slender woman riding it, her spiky blue hair flying out in all directions, barely contained by the police cap she was wearing. Beside her rolled a side car with a small, fiery puppy sitting inside. She recognized this Pokemon as a Growlithe, a Pokemon she often tried to catch in games due to it being, well, a puppy. She had somewhat of a soft spot for those.

Wisely, Rae decided to sidestep the motorcycle. The officer on it didn't seem like she was going to be slowing down, so it was best to get out of her way.

She was thoroughly surprised and let out a squeak of fear when the officer decided to _jump the curb_ and skid to a stop right in front of her. No sooner did the bike freeze than the Growlithe leapt out, straight onto Rae's chest. It used it's weight to bowl Rae, who had little time to react, over backwards and pin her to the ground, a paw to her throat and it's glaring eyes in her face. In her shock, Rae let the egg roll to her left side, right to the officer's feet. The policewoman gave her a triumphant smirk, snatching the egg up. "That's right, thief! I, Jenny of Lumiose, have finally got you! No more egg stealing for you!"

Rae gaped, trying to splutter out defiance under Growlithe's assault. "T-Thief!? Listen, lady, you've got the wrong person, I'm not a thief-!"

"Silence her, Growlithe!"

Rae let out a high pitched shriek that was promptly cut off by a massive paw smushed into her face. Jenny grabbed a rope from her motorcycle and leapt at the struggling female. Growlithe worked with it's trainer to flip her over to her stomach, and the officer efficiently tied the teenagers arms behind her back and her legs together. Only then did they back away.

Rae grumbled, speaking through mouthfuls of dirt. "This is so unfair. I'm not a thief."

"Tell it to the judge. Come on, we're taking you back to the police station!" Jenny then leaned down and effortlessly picked up the startled girl, proceeding to toss her unceremoniously into an unimpressed Growlithe's sidecar. Growlithe promptly jumped into the sidecar beside the bound female, keeping it's eyes straight ahead. Jenny gingerly picked up the egg and cradled it in the crook of her elbow as she mounted the motorcycle, then turned to Rae with a smirk. "You have the right to remain silent."

Rae opened her mouth to speak, but Growlithe cut her off with a swift growl. She settled with a return glare and muttered, "This day just couldn't get any worse."

* * *

Apparently, she was wrong.

"Alright, nice try! You think you're going to fool me with some clever story? I think not!"

Rae sighed exasperatedly, shifting uncomfortably in the wooden chair she was seated in. She was currently sitting in the police station, being interrogated by an overly enthusiastic Jenny, whom she wasn't sure was doing this because it was her job or just for the overall hell of it. She had been asking the same repeated questions for _hours_ , and no matter which way Rae tried to explain, Jenny would never take an answer to be true. There was always a contradiction. Frankly, it was getting old. "Listen, it's not just a story, it's true! I was only trying to get into town, and the egg was given to me! I didn't steal it."

"A likely story!"

Rae let her head fall back in defeat, her long brown hair splaying over the back rim of the chair. Her eyes traveled to the far right of the room, where the small egg was sitting on a table, giving off a steady glow. She gazed at it sadly, then sat up once more to speak. "I didn't steal the egg. So can you please let me go now? It's going to hatch soon."

Officer Jenny shook her head, crossed her arms, and turned to the side, her voice rising. "No way! You're under arrest, so stop denying your crime, because you won't sway me! You'll be sent to trial, and thrown in jail, and I'll enjoy every second of it!" A fierce fire seemed to burn in the officer's eyes, somewhat intimidating Rae. She opened her mouth to speak again after initially getting over it, but was interrupted.

"What's going on here?"

Both Rae and Jenny turned to see a tall, somewhat scrawny man enter the room. He had dark, flyaway hair, and the beginnings of a scruff on his face. Dressed in a white lab coat, he seemed to be a scientist, though his thick French accent seemed to suggest that he was more of a tourist. He was certainly a character Rae didn't recognize from the outside games or anime, but Jenny seemed to know him right away. "Professor, you can't be in here! We talked about this!"

The curious man simply walked into the room, smiling at Jenny with complete disregard for her exclamation. "Now, now. I won't cause any trouble. There just seemed to be a commotion, and if you'll pardon my behavior, I was listening outside the door for quite a long time. I think that if you took a moment to consider her story, Jenny, you may find that there is some truth to it."

He strode right up to Rae's side, smiling down at the flabbergasted female. "Now, young lady, why don't you start again? You say that you were simply looking to get into town because your egg is close to hatching? Is that all?

Rae gaped for a second, then snapped back to her senses and nodded. "Y-Yeah. That's right. I promise I'm not lying, I just wanted to get into town… I don't even know where I am, honestly, and everything is so strange… And with my egg close to hatching, I don't know what to do. I don't even know how to care for a Pokemon properly!"

The professor glanced at Jenny with a somewhat triumphant smile. "Now, wouldn't you say that's a believable story? She's simply an inexperienced individual looking for some advice and a place to go. You wouldn't arrest a trainer simply for that, would you?"

Jenny seemed taken aback by this development. She quickly rebounded, however, pointing at Rae accusingly. "Well, what about her Trainer ID, huh? Let's see it!"

Rae flinched, staring at the Professor with wide eyes. The professor gazed at her expectantly, and she gulped, forced to explain. "... Sir, I don't have an ID. I'm not even a trainer."

Jenny gave a crow of triumph, but it was quickly quelled by the smiling face of the professor. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"

Neither Rae or Jenny could scarcely believe those words. Both spluttered unanimously in shock, "Excuse me?"

The kind professor simply continued to smile as he turned his attention to Jenny. "How about this. I'll take her to my lab and put her through the usual test. If she passes, she's free to go. If she fails, I'll send her back here and you can do what you like with her."

 _What test?!_ Rae stared at the Professor again, this time in horror.

However, Jenny returned his grin. "I think that's a brilliant idea. There's no way she can pass!"

The professor smirked. "Marvelous! I'll take her back with me right now, if you don't mind."

Rae's head pounded, her heart flying in her chest. "You're serious? What kind of test is this? Hang on!"

The professor looked at her and winked. "You'll pass. I'll make sure of it."

Even with his encouragement, she couldn't quell the sinking feeling in her chest.

* * *

After being released from her binds and having the egg returned to the professor (Jenny had insisted that a _poacher_ could never handle an egg properly, and the professor had taken the egg mostly to quiet her), Rae and the professor left the police station. Though her nerves were high on anxiety, somehow, she still managed to remember that she hadn't had a prior chance to get a good look at the environment around her. Being crushed under a forty-one pound dog tended to distract you, after all. So she pushed her nerves to the back of her mind, and allowed herself to take a good look around. What met her eyes made her jaw drop.

They seemed to be smack-dab in the middle of a gigantic city. Buildings, big and small, covered every surface of the large, paved streets. Despite these streets, there were very few cars, but there were many, many people. Men, women, children, all of them together, filling the sidewalks and alleys. Some of them were alone, some in groups. There were large flashy signs in every corner of the city, advertising some product or another, or movies from a local studio. There were parlors, cafes, shops galore, and every place was bustling with business. This was nothing like Rae was used to; she had grown up in a quiet town with a population of maybe a thousand people. Never in her life had she been to a city like this.

But what really caught her attention were the _Pokemon._ They were everywhere. Some were clearly owned by trainers, walking side by side with them. Others were questionable; they lurked near alleys, on top of buildings, or in the small trees preserved in the medians on the sidewalks. They, like the buildings and people around them, were all different shapes, sizes species, and overall they were all _brilliant._

The professor must have caught her gaping, because the next thing she registered was him laughing at her. Rae hurriedly shut her mouth, glaring gently at the professor, whose laughter weakened to mere chuckles. "Relax, young lady. Many newcomers have a similar reaction. Take a good look around. What do you see?"

A bit taken aback by the question, Rae cast her eyes around the beautiful city once again. "Um… I see buildings, people, and… Pokemon. Pokemon, everywhere... "

The professor's eyes glinted with concealed wisdom and amusement. "And…? How does all of this make you feel?"

Rae had to think about how to properly answer his question. Everything around her was simply breathtaking. There were no words to properly describe such a sight, at least nothing she knew. "... It makes me feel… excited, almost. Everything is so big, and I grew up in a town that had one supermarket to feed the entire population. The only buildings around were houses, honestly. All of this, it's so different… so exhilarating."

The professor took his eyes away from her to look towards a set of buildings in the distance. His smile broadened, however, and he gave a thoughtful hum. "I see. Well, that's an interesting answer, for sure… How about you follow me, now? We're going to that building right across the street."

She focused on the building he had pointed towards. She had noticed the building before; it was a bit bigger than it's surrounding buildings and had a bit more nature around it compared to the rest of the city. It's exterior could be compared to the entrance to a museum, but smaller. Rae allowed the professor to lead her across the street and to the doors, but paused as he stopped outside the doors with a mischievous smile. "So, are you ready for your test?"

Oh look, the anxiety was back.

The professor smirked. "You get one chance. If you pass my test, you enter the lab. If you fail, I'll take you straight back to the police station. Jenny would be thrilled to have you back in her clutches, I'm sure."

The very thought made her groan out loud. The professor chuckled in response. "Relax. There's only one question, and it's very simple as long as you use your surrounding resources. So tell me, what is my name? We haven't been formally introduced, you know, and I rather enjoy guessing games."

 _What?_

Rae stood there, dumbfounded. This was a man she had just met, standing before her in a world in which she had no business being in in the first place. How on Earth was she supposed to know his name? "Uh… I'm not sure what your name is. To tell the truth, like I keep telling _everyone,_ I'm not from around this area."

The Professor gave her a look, that stupid smirk still on his face. "Well, then you'll just have to look around and make a really good guess, won't you?"

Rae suppressed a curse, grudgingly taking a look around the premises. The large building in front of her didn't seem to have much writing on it, giving no indication of what significance it may have or who owned it. The trees and greenery surrounding the place didn't help much either. " _So where the hell am I supposed to look?!"_

Her eyes flitted around a few more times, surveying the entire area… Before she finally got the bright idea to look _behind_ her. She turned, and finally noticed a small white sign at the edge of the sidewalk that read, "Sycamore Labs."

 _Wow, great job finding that one, Sherlock._

She turned back to the professor, who graciously looked like he was at least _trying_ to suppress a laugh, and with what little dignity she had left, gave him his answer.

"Nice to meet you, Professor Sycamore."

The Professor grinned at her kindly, and turned to open the door. "Welcome, beginner Rae, to my lab. You may enter."

* * *

 **We see Rae's adventure start today!**

 **R &R, if you please!**

 **The next chapter should be posted at the end of March, at the latest.**

 **\- EA**


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